Claire P. O. V
I felt the thick white liquid melting from my pussy. Meanwhile, I no longer saw Ethan Randall in that room. Not anywhere.
When I got up and lowered my legs from the bed, I found my body covered in bluish blotches, starting from my thighs and going all the way down to my collarbone. My body was so sore. It was like I had just fought a grueling battle. Not part of my body could feel; everything was numb.
“Ack!”
My knees felt completely weak, and I just collapsed. This is wild! What could have driven Ethan Randall to do something so terrible to me?
Was it about that shady deal he struck with the Roughs? Or his bond with Chen Lien? Or was it just because I suddenly wished he would turn me down?
No way, that’s the whole story. But what’s really going on? If I’m to blame, why did the Rogue Wolves take me instead of Lucy Spencer? She’s been his fiancee all along, right? So why me?
I honestly didn’t have the energy to get up, so I just sat there on the floor, trying to forget that I was completely naked. I couldn’t shake the thought that someone might walk in, find me like this, and make me feel even more humiliated.
I should never have followed Ethan’s desire to go with him to this Pack. His words really got to me-what did he even say last night? Trash? If he thought so little of me, he should have ended things immediately and told everyone I was just some maid there to clean the bathroom, not someone who could be a Luna or compete with his fiancee.
The sound of the doorknob turning echoed in the quiet room. I should have bolted, hidden under a blanket, or something. But I was utterly drained like all my energy had vanished, and I couldn’t even move a finger.
“I thought you were going to run away,” he said. It was Ethan, looking sharper than usual in a suit that fit him perfectly, complementing his skin tone and good looks.
I might have kicked him out if it weren’t for how good he looked.
“Why aren’t you up yet?” he asked, tossing the blanket off me and onto the bed.
“If I could, I would’ve done it ages ago,” I shot back.
“Are you starting to rely on me?”
“I’d lose my mind if I did.”
“Aren’t you here because you’re my mate? And don’t you want to be my one and only luna, just like Lucy?”
“I should’ve figured it out when I realized you were my mate,” I replied, throwing in some sarcasm to interrupt Ethan.
But Ethan didn’t respond. Instead, he picked me up, carried me to the bathroom, and set me down on the tub’s edge. Then, he turned on the faucet, filling the tub with warm water while his sleeves got soaked.
I told him, “I don’t need your help,” as I pushed him away, splashing water all over his face without a care about his fancy suit and whatever important thing he had going on.
Instead of taking the hint, Ethan grabbed a shampoo bottle and dumped it on my head. “What are you doing?!”
“What does it look like? I’m giving you a bath! You’re covered in my pheromones, and if you walk out like this, everyone will think I’ve been picking on you.”
“Cut it out! I said cut it out!” I protested as Ethan started scrubbing my hair, his hands working so hard that I couldn’t help but shout at him to stop. But he just kept going.
“You’re not leaving until you’re clean.”
“Stop! I can handle this on my own!” I patted him again and splashed more water on Ethan, thoroughly soaking his suit.
With his hair dripping wet, Ethan shot me a messy look, his head covered in shampoo foam. He let out a sigh and loosened his tie.
“You’re such a troublemaker, Claire Halle.”
“And you’re way too cocky for an Alpha in a Pack.”
When I said that, Ethan sighed again, a heavy sound that felt almost defeated. But then he stripped off his suit, tossed it aside, and climbed into the tub with me.
I stepped back, but my back hit the tub, leaving me no way to escape. “W-what are you doing?”
“I was supposed to be on a flight to Shanghai this morning, but instead, here I am stuck with a wet suit,” he replied, slicking his hair back.
His chest was well-defined, and his abs were just slightly flexed. Does he hit the gym often? Nah, I doubt it. Since arriving, I’ve only seen him lounging around in his study, usually with a drink.
“So, if that’s the case, why are you here?”
“Don’t you know what time it is?”
“Did I really have to figure out how long I slept after you wouldn’t let me catch even a few minutes of shut-eye last night?”
“You can manage that.”
“That’s ridiculous!” I yelled at him. “There’s no way I’m doing that, especially since I’m still new to all this.” I added, feeling a bit shy. I could feel my cheeks heating up.
I noticed Ethan was watching me, but I tried to distract myself by continuing to lather my hair with shampoo.
The bathtub overflowed with bubbles, but I still had to squeeze my feet between Ethan’s legs. Honestly, the tub was way too small for both of us, so why did he choose to get in there? Was he just trying to mess with me?
“Just one week,” he said suddenly after a long silence.
I looked up to meet his gaze, but as soon as our eyes locked, Ethan reached for the shower tap behind me and started rinsing my hair without me asking.
“I’m heading to Shanghai for a week with Chen Lien,” he added.
“So what do you want from me? You can just leave without saying anything. Isn’t Lucy Spencer the one you should be talking to? Go to her.”
“You’ll be all alone.”
“I’ve been alone in that dump you call trash long before you showed up. I’m used to it,” I shot back.
I wiped the water off my face, but just as I was about to pull my hand away, Ethan suddenly grabbed both hands. I was taken aback when I realized our faces were just inches apart, and I could feel his warm breath.
“Come with me to Shanghai.”